Beverage stirring implement



1955 H. T. LAWRENCE BEVERAGE STIRRING IMPLEMENT Filed May 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 J7ZU67ZZ07 Zflawrane 2 H. T. LAWRENCE 2,723,111

BEVERAGE STIRRING IMPLEMENT Nov. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 22, 1953 [nave/ 72507 flaZJeZ-i ZLaa/rence United States Patent v BEVERAGE STIRRIN G IMPLEMENT Hallett T. Lawrence, Melrose, Mass., assignor to Spir-It, Inc., Malden, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application May 22, 1953, Serial No. 356,626 1 Claim. (Cl. 259-144) This invention pertains to drink-stirring implements such as are sometimes referred to as muddlers, used for stirring beverages, particularly those served in tall glasses, for example highballs. While such stirring implements may be made of relatively expensive materials, for instance, sterling silver or silver plate, they are more usually made of a relatively inexpensive material, for example, a hard synthetic plastic, so that the establishment serving the drinks will not seriously object if a guest carries the implement away with him as a sonvenir-a custom so general that muddlers are commonly used as an advertising medium, having embossed or printed thereon the name of the establishment in which the drink is served. Although the usual muddler is thus relatively inexpensive, drink dispensers prefer to avoid unnecessary Waste of these devices. However, when a party of guests is served with successive rounds of drinks, good usage, as well as hygienic principles, demand either a fresh glass and muddler for each successive drink, or at least that care be exercised to return to the individual guest the same glass and muddler used in serving a previous drink. Even though servitors may be instructed to use care in providing fresh glasses and muddlers with each drink (a practice which, of course, increases the cost of service), or to be sure to return the same glass and muddler to the guest, some guests may doubt the actuality of these practices and question whether the same glass and muddler are being returned to them.

The present invention has for one object the provision of a drink-stirring device or muddler which, if desired, may be made of inexpensive material (for example, of moldable plastic and having the functional characteristics expected of such devices), but which provides for so identifying an individual muddler, that unintentional or careless interexchange of muddlers among guests may easily be detected at a glance.

A further object is to provide a muddler capable of being made simply and cheaply, as by molding or die pressing, and wherein the paddle or stirring portion of the device is so devised as to afford a flat field of substantial dimensions for the display of indicating indicia.

A further object is to provide a muddler adapted to be manufactured in sets, for instance, sets of six or twelve wherein each muddler of a given set has a conspicuous identifying symbol so that each of the muddlers of the set may easily be recognized and distinguished from others.

A further object is to provide a drink-stirring device of the kind wherein an elongate relatively narrow handle has a relatively wide paddle or stirring portion integrally joined to the handle at one end of the latter and wherein the paddle portion is wafer-like in form and is provided on one of its broad faces with an integral, identifying symbol, preferably in cameo.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be pointed out in the following more detailed description and by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Patented Nov. 8, 1955 Fig. 1 is a front elevation, to somewhat enlarged scale, of a stirring device or muddler according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the device being shown inverted, that is to say with its paddle or stirring portion uppermost;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section substantially on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the paddle or stirring portion of the device to larger scale;

Fig. 5 is a sectionon the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 to much larger scale;

Fig. 6 is a composite fragmentary view illustrating a set of muddlers according to the present invention, each muddler of the set having a distinctive identifying symbol;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary front elevation showing the stirring or paddle portion of the muddler, this stirring or paddle portion being of a different contour from that illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but showing a stirring or paddle portion of a still different contour, and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a stirring or paddle portion of another contour.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 10 designates a muddler according to the present invention wherein the stirring or paddle portion is substantially square in front elevation. This muddler or stirring device comprises the elongate handle 11 which as here illustrated is provided at one end with a smoothly rounded surface, here shown as a bead or ball 12 of substantially spherical contour. At the opposite end of the handle there is arranged the stirring or paddle portion 13. The muddler here illustrated consists of a unitary mass of material, for example, a synthetic plastic which is capable of being shaped by molding and which when once shaped is hard and shape-retaining; impervious to moisture; and unaffected by the substances commonly included in beverages.

Plastics of the acrylic type or styrene plastics may be mentioned as of the kind useful for the purpose. The implement may be formed by a customary molding process, such as is used in the plastic arts, or, alternatively, it may be made from sheet material by suitable diepressing operations.

Merely for illustration and without limitation, the handle portion 11 may, as here illustrated, be substantially rectangular in transverse section (Fig. 5) with a right-to-left dimension of the order of of an inch, and a front-to-rear dimension of the order of /8 of an inch. The ball or bead 12 at the end of the handle may, for example, be m of an inch in diameter, and the paddle or stirring portion 13, when of square contour, as illustrated in Figs. 1-6, may be of the order of of an inch measured between parallel edges at the rear side of the implement and of the order of of an inch measured between parallel sides of the stirring portion 13 at the front face of the latter.

As here illustrated (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) the rear face 14 of the stirring portion is flat and smooth and located (Fig. 3) in a plane approximately midway between the front and rear surfaces 15 and 16 of the handle portion. The paddle portion 13, as here illustrated, is wafer-like in its form, comprising a thin web 17, whose forward face 18 is substantially in the plane of the front face 15 of the handle portion, this web being of the order of A of an inch in thickness. The front face 18 of this web portion is bordered by a rib 19, Fig. 4, having a front face 20 which is substantially parallel to the surface 18 and which may, for example, be of the order of ,4 of an inch in width. The outer face 21 of this rib slopes from front to rear, the distance between the surfaces 14 3 and'20 being-0f theorderof -of-an-inch. The'slope of the surface 21 results from the fact that the transverse dimensions of the rear face 14 of the paddle portionaresomewh'at 'gr'e'aterthan'those of'the'front of'the paddle"portion,-measuredbetweenthe outer edges of the "surface 20 at oppositesidesof the paddlep'ortion as above-suggested. From thisconstru'ction and fromthe dimensions above noted it will be apparent that'the surface Ztlis-in apl'a'ne'which isforward of'the surface 15 of' the'handle. The fiat forward face -18'of the waferlike paddle portion provides a field of substantial dimensi'onsforthe display of a sy b'olorindicia. Such 'indicia, as hereillustrated,-consists of integral portions of the material of the paddleportion projecting forwardly from the surface 18'in cameo fashion, as illustrated at 22, Fig. 3, with the forward face of each element of the symbolprefera'bly lying'intheplanei of theforward surface 20of'the 'rib. As above noted, the rear face 14 "of the paddle portion isofiset forwardly from the 'rear face 16 of the handle, and as shown in Fig. 2, the handle portion'extendsupwardlyat 23 above the lower corner of the-paddleportion,"thus'providinga mass of material for firmly uniting-the paddle portion to the handle. As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the paddle portion 13, which as already notedis of'square contour, is arranged with r one of its-diagonals on the center line of the handle. However, although this arrangement of 'the paddle portion is desirable for aestheticreasons, it maybe desirable to arrange the squarepaddle portion'with one of its edges perpendicular to the centerline of the handle.

As 'above'noted, the dimensions "suggested are merely by way ofthe-illustration of'an implement of a convenient size for the intended'purpose and whereby the implement may-readily bemade by operations such as above suggested and-which, -weight,-'pleasing in appearance,and capable'of performing 'itsdesired functions as a stirring'element, and with the novel advantages accruing from the present invention.

Fig. 6' illustrates-how the stirring device of the present invention may'be made to solvetheproblem above discussed, that is to say, insuring the return to an individual userofthe same muddler which was served with his first drink. Thus,-in-'Fig. 6 the numerals "10, 10 etc., indicate muddlers each having a "stirringor'p'addle portion 'of the same contour and dimensions, butwherein each one of'the series isprovided with asymbol'or identifying 'indicia on its 'front face whereby 'it may readily be distinguished from others. This set of 'muddlers shown in Fig. 6 is 'whimsically provided with identifying indicia correspondingtocustornary traffic signs found along the roadway. However, "it isco'ntemplated that other symbols-orindicia may be employed,'asillustrated,for example-in 'Figs. 7,-8 and '9. In Fig. 7 the stirring portion 10 instead'ofbeing square, 'as illustrated in the previous when completed, will be light in figures, is -a-regular octagon, with oneof its edges perpendicular to the central longitudinal line of the handle, and the field 18 of this front face is provided with a letter of the alphabet to form the identifying symbol.

In Fig. 8 the muddler 10 has a paddle portion of circular contour, whose front display field has thereon a numeral to form the identifying symbol.

In Fig. 9 the 'muddler has the stirring or paddle portion 10 which in this instance is of truncated triangular form, with its smaller end attached -to the handle and with its wider top edge perpendicular to 'the axis'of the handle, and having on its displayfield 18 a star illustrative of any of numerous geometrical shapes which may be employed as a designating symbol.

While certain desirable embodiments of the invention have herein been described and illustrated, by way of example, it is understood that the invention is broadly inclusive of any 'and all modifications falling within the scope of the-appendedclaim.

I'claim:

A drink-stirring implement of the kind wherein an elongate handle, approximately rectangular in transverse section, has'a paddle at one end, the handle and paddle being an integral-mass 'of hard, impervious, shaperetaining material, characterized in that the paddle is wafer-like having a smooth, flat rear face, locatedsubstan'tially in the plane of the -'longitudinal axis of the handle, the front face of the paddle being bounded by a forwardly-directed rib that defines a field for display of identifying indicia, the forward face of which is in substantiallythe same plane as the front face of the handle andwhose'outer edge's'urface extends rearwardly 'to the rear face of 'the'paddle and forms the marginal edge of the paddle, said display field having identifying indicia projecting forwardly fromthefieldwith its forward face substantially in the plane -'of the front "edge of the rib, the handle being-provided with a bead at'the end opposite the paddle, that end p ortion of the 'handle which 1 is united to the paddle being'ofisetrearwardly from the rear face -ofthe paddle-and extending above the lowest point of the paddle.

References Cited in the file-of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

